Weight loss for a vegetarian

gradchica27

I'm pescetarian, going on about 15 years, though I am light on the fish consumption. I do cut back on cheese, pasta, bread, and oil, but only bc I can eat a block of cheese and a baguette and then a bowl of Alfredo with no problem.

I also like full fat dairy, eggs, fake meat, and avocados, for fat/protein. I usually hit 90-100 g of protein a day, with some vegan protein powder in my smoothie and sometimes a protein bar as a snack.

Eta the part deleted when I hit post.

cristalball

What protein powder do the vegans use? I haven't liked the ones I've tried.

cwolfman13

Consume less energy than you expend...there is no magical food to avoid or eat to lose weight...it basically comes down to a 5th grade math equation.

AnnPT77

Calorie deficit for weight loss, a reasonable set of macro targets and sufficient micros, and you're all set. It's no different for us veggies. There's no magic good food, or dangerous evil one. (I've been ovo-lacto for 41 years - I gained the weight that way, held onto it for decades that way, and lost it that way. I started at 183 in April 2015, and am now at a slightly-too-low 120.)

I found it helpful to log meticulously, and then review my diary to see which things were not really worth their calorie "cost" to me in terms of their nutrition, satiation, or tastiness. This is going to be different for everyone.

I eat plenty of dairy, especially lowfat or nonfat Greek yogurt and skim milk . . . but also cheese in reasonable portions. (I know that fat is good for one, and satiating, but I prefer to get a fair amount of mine from nuts, seeds, and such, so using some nonfat dairy is a strategy for doing that).

Other good protein sources are legumes of all sorts, soybeans (dry-roasted beans, or cooked edamame), tempeh, eggs if you eat them. I'm liking chickpea pasta, edamame/mung fettucine (in Asian-style dishes, not as a generic pasta substitute). For me, getting plenty of protein helps me feel full and avoid fatigue, especially since I'm very active.

Lots of veggies have protein. It's lower quality, but you can balance that out a bit by eating a wide variety.

What I've found myself eating less of are the things I think of as "meaningless carbs". These are things like bread, normal pasta, etc. For me, those aren't especially filling, and I don't crave them. I find I'm just as happy eating the stuff I would've put on the sandwich (but not the bread), or the stuff I would've put on top of the pasta (but not the pasta). I don't eat low carb, but most of my carbs come from things like veggies & fruits (though I do love my oatmeal).

If you've lost around 9 pounds in a month, you're doing just fine. If you don't feel full, consider doing some experimenting to see what's more filling for you - more protein? more fat? more fiber? Or experiment with the timing of your eating/volume to see if a different routine is more satisfying.

Just stick to your calorie deficit, and get the macros/micros right - you'll be healthy, and get lighter.

joncooper1980

subakwa wrote: »

I think you missed the point, or maybe I wasn't as clear as I should have been. You are right that there is no reason to avoid carbs or dairy entirely, and nowhere did I say that there was. The issue with both is that they are pretty calorie dense, and also a bit of a veggie diet staple. This calorie density can make a low-ish calorie target (1200 for me) tough to achieve whilst still feeling like you've eaten a meal. A cheese sandwich, for lunch, for example, would take half the daily calorie allowance, not leaving much for breakfast, drinks or evening meal. Hence switching out those go-to carb and dairy options for more veg and filling legumes makes the calorie target less of a trial and more of a habit change.

When you say carbs are you meaning processed carbs. Its misleading to say that carbs are calorie dense when in fact they contain 4 calories per gram regardless of what types of carbs they are. However, processed carbs are known to not keep you satiated for as long as unprocessed carbs, which is the point I assume you are trying to get across.

Plus Dairy is only "calorie dense" because the majority of go to dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt etc) are a combination of carbs and fats. I would personally change these dairy products for Greek yogurts which have little to no fat but plenty of carbs and protein which keep you feeling fuller for longer.

melonaulait

subakwa wrote: »

I think you missed the point, or maybe I wasn't as clear as I should have been. You are right that there is no reason to avoid carbs or dairy entirely, and nowhere did I say that there was. The issue with both is that they are pretty calorie dense, and also a bit of a veggie diet staple. This calorie density can make a low-ish calorie target (1200 for me) tough to achieve whilst still feeling like you've eaten a meal. A cheese sandwich, for lunch, for example, would take half the daily calorie allowance, not leaving much for breakfast, drinks or evening meal. Hence switching out those go-to carb and dairy options for more veg and filling legumes makes the calorie target less of a trial and more of a habit change.

Thanks for clearing that up!